Round 8 here already.
'Fat ladies sing', don't they? But only when they're good and ready; only when it's 'time'. 7 Rounds in, and I can spot no gravitationally challenged divas even beginning to warm up their vocals, just yet.
Mere "mathematical possibilities" are what they are. Maybe an interesting HSC Trials warm-up for the 2 Unit Maths kids? But for those that're relying on others' results, well, that's a tough road to hoe, and they're guaranteed to change in a week's time anyway!
The 1st XV "must see" matches in the 3 Rounds remaining for this year, I reckon, will be any game involving Scots (-), Kings (-1 behind) or View (-2 behind), or any game against one of the form "spoilers" in Joeys (lethal Backline) or New (devastating Forwards), both of which teams are in outstanding form.
And for @NIS, relax; I'm not forgetting about Shore. I've no doubt at all that those lads will play out their last 3 games this year as they've done all year - balls to the wall; all in; up'm and into 'em.
The business end has arrived for the Season 2016 'Chocoholics'.
Round 8
There is
not an "easy" game in the offing for
any team this Round. Wins will be the hardest earned of this Season; any mis-steps costly for any aspirants.
We'll see two leaders play the two form "spoilers", both as 'away' games for the leaders. And in the other match, Shore jagging their first win could effectively end Iggies' tilt at the Title
this Round.
So much still to play for!
Joeys v Kings
The Kingsmen
must win away to keep their Season alive. It's that simple.
Joeys you can bet, if they had GPS 1's on some SportsBet App (shudder that particular thought), will be out to "avenge" their narrow Rnd 3 loss out at Nth Parra. (See @Sidesteppa's excellent vid posted on page 146.) As the JoeBoys did to Newington in last year's penultimate round, today, they'll want to set a 'contender' right back on their collective backsides.
This will be a classic duel between Kings' Apex predators vs. the Cerise & Blue's sharper than butcher's knives Backline.
I reckon this one has "Draw" written all over it!
New v Scots - an expected massive danger game for the ladder-leaders out at Stanmore, and sure to fully test Scots' D and their mettle. A win to Scots will effectively shut the door on Iggies' challenge this year - who at best, would then still be 2 games / wins behind with just two to play. But a loss to Scots will kick open the same door for both Kings
and Iggies in the Premiership race.
This one has to be worth the price of admission. So like The Jackson Five, 'I'll be there'.
Round 9 - a key matchup to come.
Given how tight the Comp is this year, it's sort of pointless looking too far ahead, but whatever happens today in Round 8, one match following will almost certainly determine how the 2016 Premiership ends up looking... I think.
Kings v Iggies -
the Match of the final Rounds, I reckon. The winner will remain right in the hunt, but whoever loses should be "dusted" as a Premiership contender.
Iggies got up at home in Round 4; oddly enough, their most recent win. Round 9 will be at home for Kings, so it'll be 'Season on the line' stuff, and no place for the faint of heart out in the middle of JS White Oval! Should be a beauty.
But before all that, all the 'unknowns' of Round 8 will become 'knowns' in just a few hours' time! So, go hard and go well boys!